Summary
A massive sunspot, over 10 times the size of Earth, has appeared on the sun, which could produce multiple solar flares. These flares might lead to bright auroras visible far beyond their usual locations. A significant solar flare on December 1 even caused radio blackouts in Australia.
Key Facts
- A large sunspot, named Active Region (AR) 4294-96, is over 10 times the size of Earth.
- AR 4294-96 is likely to cause solar flares in the coming weeks.
- An X1.9-class solar flare was detected on December 1, the strongest type of solar flare.
- This flare caused a temporary radio blackout in Australia, impacting aviation and maritime communications.
- Solar flares do not directly cause auroras but can increase the chance of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) that do.
- No CMEs from the December 1 event are heading towards Earth, but monitoring is ongoing.
- In November, an X5.1-class flare led to widespread auroras across the U.S. and Europe.
- The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and NASA will monitor these solar activities due to potential impacts on radio communications and power grids.
